A student in the College of Engineering and Computer Science was recently selected as Syracuse University’s 2016 Astronaut Scholar.

Geoffrey Vaartstra, a mechanical engineer major, was selected to receive the scholarship. His research investigating the behavior of zeolites, a type of mineral, in water purification gained him the recognition. He works under the supervision of and with aid from Shalabh Maroo, an assistant professor in the department of mechanical and aerospace engineering.

Each academic year, the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation awards one student in a STEM field at each of its participating universities with the Astronaut Scholar Scholarship. The scholarship signifies potential in a STEM career, good academics and leadership qualities.

John Dannenhoffer, program director of the department of aerospace engineering, said the College of Engineering and Computer Science and the College of Arts and Sciences together select two candidates for the scholarship. Those two nominees are sent to the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, who selects the winner, Dannenhoffer said.

Water is more complicated than a scientific, vital phenomena for humanity, Vaartsa said, adding that it also impacts society. Having access to clean, purified water costs a lot, especially in very poor areas.

“The implications this has for people living in poverty made my head spin, it seemed wrong that the most basic human necessity had a price tag on it,” Vaartstra said.

Vaartstra said he was appalled by the water quality when he visited friends in Mexico right after graduating high school. The encounter ultimately inspired him to work toward finding a solution to the problem, he said.

Entering his freshman year as a mechanical engineer major, he began to see the same issue through the context of his field and became engrossed in applications of engineering in water purification.

“I was very interested in Professor Maroo’s work with materials for water desalination — the process of removing salt from ocean water to produce drinkable water,” Vaartstra said.

Maroo, Vaartstra’s research and academic adviser, started his research while at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2010. He carried over the molecular simulations portion of the project when he joined SU, but he is still collaborating with the research group, he said in an email.

In addition, Vaartstra studied abroad this past spring in Chile, where he collaborated with a professor from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile on another water project.

The project involved installing fog catchers in the coastal region of the Atacama Desert and using solar powered pumps to provide the surrounding communities with water, he said.

“So far, I have published results about how to accurately simulate water entering the zeolite, which is an important validation step,” Vaartstra said.

He is on the verge of publishing findings that show zeolites can separate from water and characterize how water flows through the pores. The results will contribute to processing the material in a way that it desalinates water more efficiently than current technology.

When the nomination process of the Astronaut Scholarship came around, Maroo said he was happy to assist Vaartstra.

“I submitted a strong recommendation letter supporting his application,” Maroo said in an email. “Geoffrey is a very hardworking and smart student, and he earned the scholarship award with his strong work ethic and perseverance. I am proud of his achievements, and I hope he continues to work hard in the future.”

Vaartstra said he is grateful to all the professors who helped him along the way and gave him opportunities — he is especially grateful to Maroo for being his mentor and giving him a research opportunity.

“This scholarship will be a stepping stone for me to continue doing exciting nanoscience research,” Vaartstra said.

Published on October 11, 2016 at 10:47 pm

Contact Yelisa: yleiva@syr.edu